Outflying The Goddess
by Offending Shadow
Summary: When a bet with unusual terms takes a sudden twist, how will Jag and Jaina react? And does Kyp need to give them a shove in the right direction? Trades off POV, loosely based on the wager made between Mel and Danric in Crown & Court Duel by Sherwood Smitd
1. Wager

A/N: I've always thought Jag and Jaina remind me of Vidanric and Meliara, so I stole the idea and gave it a Star Wars twist. It's AU, but around the same time as Rebel Dream

Disclaimer: I don't own Jaina, Jag, Kyp, or any Star Wars characters. This time I don't even own the plot; the idea came from Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith (another brilliant book, by the way).

Outflying The Goddess 

Chapter One: Wager

I stopped in my tracks, then spun around to face Kyp Durron. He was leaning against the small fighter ship casually, but there was no mistaking the mischievous glint in his eyes. There's no way... Surely he wouldn't dare. It breached every rule of logic, of etiquette… I'd always considered the man a bit of a loose cannon, but this was flat-out ridiculous. It undermined the chain of command, the Goddess charade, and was both childish and pathetic. Quickly, I sent a sideways glance at Jaina, wondering how she had reacted to this proposition. She, too, was fixing her eyes on Kyp, her expression a mixture of surprise and fury.

"Pardon me, could you repeat that?" I faltered, if only to break the silence.

Kyp's impish grin only widened. "You heard me, Fel. I'm curious. I know you both are too. Don't even try to make me believe you've got something better to do. It'll settle this enmity once and for all. I want to see the two of you race," he cut Jaina off as she opened her mouth to unleash a sarcastic retort, drawling, "Unless, of course, you're afraid, Solo."

Her eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously in a way that had become all too familiar to me. I could almost hear the cogs turning in her mind as I followed her train of thought; she knew Kyp was manipulating her, but there was too much of her father in her for her to care. Actually, after meeting the infamous Han Solo, I found it a bit easier to understand her, despite it having been a daunting experience. "I'm not afraid, Durron," she replied angrily, then rounded her piercing glare on me. I immediately wished I could melt into the floor. Give me a Yuuzhan Vong coral skip any day, rather than this. At least those I knew to handle. I blew them up without qualms. "Colonel, if you are willing to oblige, I would be happy to take up this _mortal's_ challenge." She gave a false, sickly smile.

My mind began racing even faster than Jaina could fly. I quickly sized up the odds. Could I beat her? Yes, probably. It would be close, but I figured I could make it. I was more or less off-duty today, so Kyp was right, I had no excuse. However, it was… inappropriate. Still, I doubted that argument would hold much weight in this particular company. Surely… surely the worst that could happen would be that I would loose face in front of her, and at least then the matter which had always hung between us, unspoken, would be settled once and for all. Maybe I could even gain her respect as a pilot. And the best that could happen? Unbidden, the words Kyp had said to me back on the Hapes cluster forced their way into my mind. "I'm guessing the only man Jaina would ever take seriously is one who could outfly her."

They were staring; I had been silent for too long. Yes. I'd do it.

I hesitated for a moment more, then donned my emotionless politician's face, giving a quick nod. That face had come in handy more than once, especially around the Jedi. "I would be honoured, Lieutenant Solo."   
Ten minutes later, I clambered up into a battered old Y-wing parked next to an identical one Jaina Solo was already seated in. Just as I was about to pull on the helmet, Kyp's voice calling out from the ground stopped me dead in my tracks. "Wait a second. Once around the base, first one back here wins, that's pretty straight forward. However, maybe we should raise the stakes a little. How about a bet." Glancing at Kyp's face, I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was just about to open my mouth to protest, when Jaina beat me to it.

"Fine by me. What're the stakes?" She had a wild look about her, smiling the lop-sided Solo grin. Staring at the way her tousled brown hair framed a face that was lit with excitement for the challenge ahead, something odd happened to my stomach; something different but not entirely unfamiliar. I ignored it.

Kyp pretended to consider the question. A moment before he said it, I realised what he intended to do. I winced inwardly as Kyp responded, "How about a kiss?" I was, I realized, going to have to kill him. That was of course making the rather large assumption that Jaina Solo wouldn't beat me to it. Still, I did hope she would leave something behind.

Her smile had vanished. I watched her, once again knowing the path her mind would take. If she said no, she thought she would look like a wimp. If she won, she wouldn't have to collect, and she had no intention of losing.

"Done," she said curtly, and yanked the helmet over her face, hiding whatever emotions she might have revealed about the unusual stakes. I simply shrugged and did the same, but as I buckled my crash webbing, I felt my stomach begin to turn even more violent summersaults. What was she thinking? Did she mind? Even if I did win, would she go through with it? Would I have the courage to actually collect? Did I want to? A voice in the back of his mind let out a bark of laughter, then replied, Yes, you definitely want to. I'd been trying to hide it, arguing with myself, trying to deny it for months.

That same, annoying little voice chose that moment to announce, despite my obvious discomfort, 'Hey, guess what, Nerf-herder? You're infatuated with the girl, and the sooner you admit it the sooner you can do something about it!'

'I do not! I most definitely do not.'

In response, the voice (for which my hatred was steadily increasing) just rolled its - or possibly my- eyes and said, 'Whatever, flyboy.'

Wonderful. Now I was arguing with myself.

Another painfully realistic part of my mind now spoke up; even if I did feel something for her, she would never return these sentiments. When she had declined to marry Prince Isolder, it's true that I hadn't been able to explain the sudden burst of happiness, even relief, that had flooded me. However, it made no difference now. She was a Yuuzhan Vong goddess, and I was not only the colonel whose authority she resented, but also the man with whom she argued constantly. Everything I ever said to her, she twisted into an insult. For reasons known only to her, she constantly provoked arguments between us, and seemed to enjoy it. I myself found I was keeping score every time I talked to her. I guessed I never would figure out how she could be the daughter of Princess Leia Organna Solo, the famous diplomat.

Still, Kyp's words continued to echo, over and over and over in my mind as I started up the engine, ready to race.

"I'm guessing the only man Jaina would ever take seriously is one who could _outfly__ her_."

I gave himself a mental kick. I would need his wits about me. I braced myself as Kyp began to shout the countdown.

"On your marks... Get set... Go!"

Immediately, my instincts took over completely; all conscious thought was wiped from my mind. However I stood with Jaina Solo, there was one thing that would always be the same; I was a pilot, through and through. Suddenly the opposing ship wasn't a person, much less the Goddess; it was just an object. An object to be beaten. And I knew I would beat it.

As we rounded the first corner, we had a wide stretch of open space. Not having to worry about obstacles, I quickly upped my speed. I increased my concentration and steadied my grips on the controls, hammering them forward, holding the ship in the perfect position to make it as aero- dynamic as possible. These weren't exceptionally fast ships by any standard, but I was still unable to suppress the old thrill from freestyle speed riding. There was no question in my mind that this was what I had been born to do. I waited until I was only fifty yards or so from the finish line to slam on the reserve power, spinning my ship slightly to help it accept the added force. Despite the pang of guilt I shoved to the back of my mind as a nasty voice reminded me how bad this manoeuvre was for the ships, I couldn't help but let out a hoot of triumph as I shot past her at the last second, and easily managed the pinpoint break that prevented me from crashing into the back wall of the hanger. It was all I could do to keep from yelling over the com, 'Eat my dust, Solo!' I wore a broad grin that I knew looked ridiculous plastered on my face. High on victory, I pushed open the ship and took off my helmet, shaking my head to get the hair out of my face. I quickly climbed down the ladder, and looked up to see Jaina removing her helmet. For a moment I froze, afraid I'd see her customary scowl directed at me. I had beaten her, after all.

I let out a sigh of relief as I saw her look at me for a moment with a thoughtful expression, as though suddenly seeing me in a new light, then pull the legendary Solo grin. She gave a nod of approval, her eyes sparking, as she called down, "Good flying, Colonel." She then shook her head in a similar fashion and joined me on the ground, jumping from half way down her ladder.

If possible, I smiled even more broadly and replied, "You're not bad yourself, Lieutenant."

However, I was suddenly, painfully dragged back to earth from my elated state by the sharp noise of one person clapping echoing throughout the hanger. I snapped my head around to see Kyp walking towards us, barely containing his laughter. "That, I must say, was very impressive."

Immediately Jaina turned to meet my eyes, her own wide, almost panicked, as at the same moment we both recalled the terms of the bet. I guessed she was regretting her decision. She took a deep breath, drew herself up to her full height, and said, "I will hold up my end of the bargain."

I quickly hid how I really felt behind a smiling mask. It could be rude to just cancel the bet, making it seem like was gloating, but it was so obvious she didn't want to... Thinking quickly, I replied, "I'd rather catch you off guard. I'll take a rain check." A rain check on which I'd certainly never collect, as I was too much of a spineless fool.

I didn't have to turn around to know Kyp had let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, his surreptitious efforts a miserable failure. Jaina returned his smile in a strangely forced way, then turned to address us both and said, "Fine then, I'd better get going. Thanks for the race; I'll see you both at dinner probably."

As I stood there watching her retreating back, I had to wonder if she was relieved or disappointed. I certainly knew which one he hoped she felt.

Kyp just turned to me, not even bothering to try and hide his obvious exasperation, and said, "Fel, you're an idiot." He then turned and left through another doorway. For a moment I too stood there, in a sort of shock, but finally pulled myself together enough to guy find out if I could get extra duties for the day. I didn't want to risk running into either of those Jedi.


	2. Master and Student

Chapter Two – Master and Student

The way I looked at the situation, I had two options.

One, I could never mention it again and hope everyone involved forgot about the incident.

Two, I could march right down there and give Kyp Durron a piece of my mind.

I needed to vent some serious anger, so I opted for number two. Ignoring the nervous looks from the poor souls unfortunate enough to pass me, I stormed down the corridor to Kyp's quarters. I began pounding on the door, furious, and barely withdrew my hand in time to keep from knocking on his face as he slid open the door.

"Why, hello, Goddess; you're looking particularly ravishing this evening, I must say! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Since I was sweaty, covered in grease and oil, had my hair sticking up in a way that reminded me painfully of Jacen, I didn't really appreciate these comments; I had come straight from experimenting with a damaged fighter.

"Lose the formalities, Nerf-herder. What did you think you were playing at back there?"

"I assume you are referring to you and the colonel's wager."

"You know perfectly well that's what I mean, you miserable heap of bantha fodder! What possessed you to suggest that, of all things?"

"If you mean the race itself, you can't pretend you were anything but enthusiastic about the idea of showing the world you were a better pilot than Jagged Fel. If, on the other hand, you meant the terms of the bet, all I can say is I'm disappointed he didn't collect."

I quickly glanced from side to side, making sure no one was nearby, then dropped my voice to a low hiss so we wouldn't be overheard. "Thank force he didn't! I don't think I've ever been so humiliated in my whole life."

Being the irritating creature that he is, Kyp just laughed. "I could have done a lot worse than that, Jaina. You should be grateful." He gave a false, deep-suffering sigh. "Honestly, you shouldn't use me as your scapegoat. It's not fair to unleash fury upon me just because you're upset that Fel didn't kiss you."

"What?" I screeched, cutting him off from any further martyrdom, and then once again glanced around nervously. Realizing this conversation could get very loud very quickly, I stepped inside and hit the controls to shut the door behind us.

"Tsk tsk, Jaina, this could start rumors."

"Shut up, Durron. I'm not going to tell and neither are you," I said, allowing the appropriate portion of menace trickle into the second half. I shoved a messy stack of papers out of the way and sat down on the top of his desk. I then crossed my arms stubbornly, making it clear I wouldn't leave until I got a satisfactory answer. "All right, where in your twisted little mind did that come from?"

He immediately faked indignation. "Hey, twisted, maybe, but little, I resent."

Not missing a beat, I whacked the ball back into his court with the reply, "With an ego that size, I'm amazed there's room for any mind at all. Now stop babbling and start talking."

"I'm just trying to give the two of you a shove in the right direction. The man's obviously smitten with you, and judging by your reaction whenever he walks into a room, along with how sensitive you are to his presence through the force, you're far from indifferent towards him. I'm simply attempting to make the two of you realise it."

For a minute I sat there, silent, in some bizarre form of shock. My brain kicked in, but it seemed to go in slow motion.

Yes, there was no denying that Jag Fel was far from ugly, but he wasn't by any means the most attractive man at the base. There were plenty of friendlier, unscarred men who would jump at a chance to date the famous- or in some cases, infamous- Jaina Solo. Me. Besides, with the Goddess scheme in full swing, I could hardly have a close connection with any mere mortals.

And yet, I had to admit there was something oddly intriguing about him. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't hold me in such high regard. I might be a Jedi, and I might be the daughter of a Princess, but to Colonel Jag Fel I would always be a scruffy, unruly mechanic with a distinctly disreputable character. To him, I wasn't an equal; I was a rogue. He seemed so mind-blowingly arrogant, and I couldn't help but enjoy baiting him. As I'd said before, he could be a lot of fun, whether he means to be or not. Partly it was great just to sense the exasperation he felt when he realised the conversation was slipping out of his control and becoming an argument. Still... my mind wandered back even further, to a formal ball back on Hapes. Then I had seen a new light in his eyes, something that was probably a surprise to him as well as me; that Jag was a whole different story...

'No,' I told myself firmly. 'Don't even go there, Jaina. Get your point across to Kyp, then get the Sith out of here and forget about the whole thing.'

Hoping the new sparkle in his eye wasn't due to him noticing my hesitation, I forced a bark of laughter. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser-brain, but quit trying to play matchmaker, okay? When I need your help with my love life, I'll ask for it. And cut that out!" As I added the last part, he jumped, visibly. During my moment of silence, he'd been prodding at my mental boundaries, trying to see if I'd let anything slip. I threw up my shields full strength, and then shoved outwards, hard, sending him reeling backwards through the force.

He narrowed his eyes. "Fine. Some apprentice you are."

Although I knew it was childish, I just stuck my tongue out in response, then stood.

Kyp rolled his eyes. "All I can say is when he gives up on you and moves on to someone else, don't come crying to me."

I let out an involuntary, unladylike snort. "Don't lose any sleep waiting for it."

Little did I know at the time just how much sleep I would be losing.


End file.
